


Moving

by hawkeing_eta



Series: Definition of Found Family [4]
Category: Persona 2, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Dialogue, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Family, Goodbyes, M/M, Moving, Other, allusions to depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 03:26:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11705838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawkeing_eta/pseuds/hawkeing_eta
Summary: Tatsuya said it would be okay, and it was all Akira needed to hear.[Canon Divergence/AU where Tatsuya and Jun are Akira's parents and more involved in his life during his probation]





	1. The Ninth of April

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still too into this AU; it's everything to me.

Akira was exhausted. Ever since they had managed to find lodging for him, the family's life had degraded into a frantic rush to get everything together and to finalize their plans with the right people. No one had a moment to sit back and take it all in. Akira didn't think he'd be able to relax anyway. The whole fiasco had left a bad taste in his mouth. That night still haunted him but he didn't want to let on that it was effecting his sleep.

His parents had enough problems to deal with on their own. Akira would just put up with it.

Both Jun and Tatsuya were bustling about downstairs, and Akira heard inquiries about train schedules and paperwork that would need to be filed away for later. Akira had a gut feeling Jun was already on his third cup of coffee. Akira was having a hard time just finishing the last of his packing.

Akira stifled a yawn as he attempted to finish packing a few more things into his dull navy tote bag. Most of his clothes had been shipped out in that large cardboard box a few days ago. Per the agreement with Sakura, he had only been allowed to take so many items with him—his clothes and other necessities were what it had boiled down to and the family had spent quite some time finagling what they could to fit into their limits. It was fine, though. It was only going to be a year.

With the rest of his clothes packed away and wanting to avoid wrinkling his new uniform as much as possible, it seemed convenient to wear it for the trip. It felt a little odd, though—a turtle neck and a blazer? Really? At least the plaid pants were kind of neat.

It hit him as he zipped his bag closed. He was moving to Tokyo today and not of his own volition. There was no autopilot anymore. It was hard to move again after that thought. Akira still couldn't wrap his mind around how all this could have happened in the first place. He wonders if he should have just kept to his own business.

A soft knock on his door broke Akira out of his piling thoughts and he turned to see Jun at his door. He looked down at him with a quiet, solemn look but tried to hide it with a gentle smile. This must have been hard for him. Akira couldn't imagine.

“We'll need to leave soon if we want to make the train. Tatsuya made some breakfast, so try to have some before we go.”

Akira nodded. He only half heard him.

Jun hesitated at the door before he turned to leave. Akira didn't miss it, though. Jun was worried and he had every right to be. Akira looked back down to the tote bag next to him and stared at it. It didn't disappear and nothing had gone back to normal and Akira realized he didn't regret trying to help that woman. His only regret was that he couldn't do more. He grabbed his bag as he stood and headed downstairs.

Tatsuya and Jun walked him to the station and joined him on the ride to his first transfer. It was late enough in the morning that the train car hadn't been crowded and the three of them managed to find a seat together. Akira was seated between the two of them. They were all quiet during the trip, but Akira found a comfort in it. They needed the moment to collect themselves and reflect. Jun's fingers ran over a small white box he had been carrying with him since they left home, seeming to draw random shapes. Akira didn't ask about it.

Akira settled himself more into his seat and both Tatsuya and Jun leaned a little bit more into him. He smiled to himself.

He hated what this had turned into. The desperate pleas and the scraping by. But Akira was grateful for what these two people have done for him, what they had sacrificed. He bit down on his lip and his hands tightened into fists in his lap. He wanted his dads to be okay while he was gone.

There was a nudge at his side and Akira looked to his right at Tatsuya, who seemed to have been watching him for who knew how long. He offered a sweet smile that always seemed to calm Akira down. He wasn't sure how but it was like the man could always tell when his thoughts were suffocating and he needed someone to pull him out.

“It'll be okay.” It was all he said. And it was all Akira needed to hear. Jun's hand came up to rest on his shoulder and Akira reached his own up to hold it.

He wouldn't forget how people looked at him at the police station, even before Tatsuya had come to pick him up; the accusatory whispers behind their backs and how the staff at this new school talked down about him to his own father. Not many people were willing to give them a chance, but Akira didn't need them.

A tinny voice over the speakers announced their approach to the next station. Akira turned in his seat to glance out the window behind him. He hadn't been to this part of the city before and the buildings were unfamiliar in the distance. It would only get worse from there.

Tatsuya was the first to stand and Akira followed suit. Jun was still sitting and looked up at the two of them with a sad smile. Akira glanced back at him as he stood and joined them as they exited the train.

Akira shrugged his bag onto his shoulder as he went ahead and walked along the landing towards where his next train will be. It was a nice morning, with few people crowding the station and fairly clear skies. He glanced back to his parents coming up behind him. Tatsuya was holding Jun's hand with a comforting smile as he looked to him. They still had a few minutes before Akira's next train was scheduled to arrive and he vaguely hoped the crowds were going to stay at bay as he looked back out toward the unfamiliar city around them.

“Akira?” Jun called, catching his attention as the two caught up. He held out the small box with his free hand and a small smile as Akira took it. “This is for you.” It was a simple white cardboard gift box and Akira turned it this way and that before flipping the lid open.

It was a peony. A small one, more than likely for convenience since Akira knew Jun had grown rather large ones in the past and the bush they had growing in their small yard hadn't fully bloomed yet. His chest ached all over again and Akira had to bite his lip. He took a deep breath before he closed the box and carefully paced it in his tote bag on top of everything, then quickly hugged Jun tight. It had caught the man off guard but Jun was soon wrapping his own arms around his son.

Keeping his face down, Akira silently reached out for Tatsuya. Jun followed and soon Akira could feel Tatsuya's weight added to the huddle. It was awkward with their differences in height and he was sure that a few people waiting around the station were staring. Akira didn't care.

Jun pulled back enough to look up to Akira, gently framing his face in his hands. The sound of the train approaching didn't seem to mean anything.

“Don't lose sight of what's important, alright? Keep your ideals close and I know you'll get through this injustice.” Jun's eyes were wet but he stood tall, head held high and Akira couldn't help but nod. The train screeched to a slow stop and the doors slid open. A few passengers exited the car while others started to board.

Akira took a step back towards the train.

“Call us if anything happens. We'll come right out,” Tatsuya said sternly. Jun nodded in eager agreement. Their hands sought out each other again and Akira smiled.

“I will.” He waved as he took another step back before finally turning to board the train. There was a brief announcement over the speakers and the doors closed. Akira went to the nearest window and looked back out to the station. He was jostled by the train as it began moving and he watched both his parents on the landing waving at him. He could see Jun take a few steps forward along the yellow line before they both were out of sight.

Akira slumped down into the free seat just below him and held onto his tote bag tightly in his lap. Leaning back, his head bumped against the window behind him and all the exhaustion hit him over again. It was just a year.

 

 

Tokyo was huge. Akira had managed to find the back alley he was looking for after stumbling around the neighborhood. That delivery man was more helpful than the police officer and a rebellious voice in the back of his mind told him he shouldn't have been surprised.

All in all, it was a cute little cafe. The planters and blackboard outside added a charming touch to an otherwise ordinary and drab alleyway.

And Akira hesitated at the door. Despite all the eavesdropping, he still didn't know much about this owner who had offered him a place to stay. He was reluctant to believe he was just that nice of a guy, and no one liked this gamble they had to make but there was no turning back at this point. Akira steeled himself and went inside.

A bell chimed as he entered and the interior of the shop was warm though a little dated. The low lights and wall of labeled jars filled with coffee beans had a homey feel, but Akira couldn't ignore the faint scent of cigarette smoke melding with the fragrance of the coffee. An elderly couple was sitting together at one of the booths a little ways in, chatting about some railway incident—it seemed to also be the topic on the TV in the back.

Akira stood by, stiff and shifting his weight as he watched the man in a light pink shirt mutter something about shellfish and pearl farming into his crossword. Since there was no one else around in the cafe and it seemed small enough not to warrant much part-time help (if any), that man must have been Sakura.

The man did finally notice Akira, and with a quick look over he seemed to have realized who he was.

“...Oh, right.” He reached over to put down the newspaper he had been writing on and stood from his stool, “They did say that was today.” His voice was a little low and gruff, and Akira was already getting all the wrong vibes. They were simply baseless so far and he kept quiet.

The elderly couple rose from their booth and thanked Sakura for the coffee. The old man made a joking comment about how a car couldn't crash into this place as they leave but Akira wasn't really paying attention. He was still trying to size the man up.

“Four hours just for a single cup of joe...” Sakura moaned to himself after the door fell shut. He turned to Akira, hand on his hip. “So, you're the guy? Akira?”

There was a beat of silence, but being rude wouldn't help his case. Akira bowed politely.

“Please take care of me.”

“...Uh-huh.”

Akira adjusted the tote bag on his shoulder, and shifted his weight between legs. Sakura was still staring at him.

“I'm Sakura Sojiro. You'll be in my custody over the next year. I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh?” There was an authoritative tone to his voice as he stared Akira down that rubbed him the wrong way. He kept it to himself. Sojiro had a right, he supposed. Still, his grip on the strap of his tote bag tightened.

“Have you been told? A customer of mine and your father know each other and— Well, not that that matters...” Akira's brow furrowed at that. An itch of doubt settled in the back of his mind and he had to wonder just how much Sojiro actually knew. “Follow me.” Sojiro gestured to do so and started to head towards the back of the cafe, leading to a set of stairs.

“This is your room.”

Oh.

“I'll at least give you sheets for your bed.”

Akira wasn't sure what he expected, but this was an insult.

“Mm? You look like you wanna say something.”

“It's...” Cluttered. A wreck. Akira stared out at the absolute mess of a room filled with old storage, bags of who knows what, and he was sure every inch had been covered in dusty cobwebs. Akira's shoulders slack and he knew he was taking too long to respond, but he kept his mouth clamped shut and swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't complain despite how belittling it was. He had no where else to go. Sojiro knew that, too. “Big.”

Sojiro crossed his arms.

“It's on you to clean up the rest.” He had already done some cleaning? Well, that was good to know. “I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble.” That stern, authoritative tone had come back in full force and it took everything for Akira not to visually bristle at it. The accusatory way Sojiro spoke down to him made it seem like he already knew what sort of person Akira was based on the meager information he had been given. Akira's shoulders stiffened and he ignored the dull pain in his palms from his blunt nails digging in. It was getting hard to stay polite but it had to be enough. He'd listen for now.

“Now then... I got the gist of your situation.” Sojiro droned on, and eventually had even began scolding him. Akira actively avoided eye contact. That frustrated, powerless feeling in his chest started to flare up again and he had to consciously focus on his breathing. Sojiro had to stop speaking eventually, right?

“...And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered your transfer and move out here, which your father also approved.” The wounds were still fresh and Akira didn't appreciate Sojiro prodding them. It was unnecessary and just felt cruel. Like he was holding his future over his head, just out of reach. Akira supposed he did.

“In other words, he got rid of you for being a pain in the ass.”

Akira shot him a look before he caught himself. That was salt in the wound and Akira physically fought himself from biting back. Sojiro caught on to it, but Akira didn't care. He pointedly looked back over the cluttered room and tried to keep his breathing even.

Sojiro stared him down and seemed to consider something.

“It's best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I _am_ in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted.”

“A whole year...” Of being singled out for a stain and living in no better than a crawlspace. Akira was still avoiding Sojiro's gaze, preferring the shelf covered in old books and a rusted sign. There was a mention of being sent to juvie that vaguely sounded like a threat. As through Akira wasn't acutely aware of his situation.

“We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow.” Sojiro cut into his thoughts.

“Going where?” Akira asked, twisting some of his bangs with a slight disinterested tilt of his head. If Sojiro wanted to think of him as nothing but a pain in the ass delinquent, then he ought to at least play up the part.

“Shujin Academy—the school you'll be attending.” Hearing that frustrated and irritated tone had felt a little satisfying. Akira shouldn't have done that, but he no longer cared. He would toe the line because Sojiro expected it from him.

Sojiro's hands were back on his hips as he turned towards the stairs. There was a twitch to his brow Akira didn't miss.

“We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there.” Sojiro paused at the top of the stairs to look back at Akira. Akira didn't turn to look at him. “There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know.” His knuckles were white as he gripped his strap and he could hear Sojiro head back down the stairs, muttering, “What a waste of my Sunday...” as he leaves.

Akira wasn't breathing; a coil wound too tight. He could still hear Sojiro on the stairs. When the sound of the sink downstairs came, Akira ripped the bag off his shoulder and whipped it at the bed in the far corner of the room and he wanted to yell and punch something. He had to actively stop himself from possibly breaking his hand on the shelf nearby and he holds his breath again.

Count to ten.

Tugging his glasses off his face, Akira ran a hand through his hair before harshly rubbing at his eyes. They stung and he didn't want to cry but he didn't know what else to do with himself. It was always in waves. He could laugh it off, shrug it off, put it all off for a while and pretend it wasn't so bad. But it would always pile up and come crashing back down again.

With a deep, shuddering breath, Akira crumpled into himself and looked over to the bare mattress. His phone was in his bag. He hoped he hadn't broken it his first day in Tokyo.

Akira crouched down as he dragged his bag across the bag towards himself. As he unzipped it, a white box toppled out along with a few petals. Akira's heart sunk at the sight. He had forgotten. A dissatisfied sigh slipped before he gently opened the damaged box. Relief flooded him to see the peony was relatively intact. The petals were soft against his fingers.

Akira looked behind him to the rest of the attic again and rubbed at his eyes once more. He should start cleaning, but this should be attended to first.

His steps were light on the stairs, still unfamiliar with their give, and he could see Sojiro at the counter. He was wiping it down and didn't seem to notice Akira at first. He stood by the door to the bathroom until Sojiro noticed him in the corner of his eye and looked his way.

“What? You need something?” There was faint irritation to his tone, his brows furrowed.

“A glass of water.”

They just looked at each other. Akira was quiet with a solemn yet stern look in his red eyes. The flower was cupped gently in his hands.

“What's with the flower?” There was almost a bit of humor to Sojiro's voice.

Akira didn't respond.

Sojiro sighed as he turned to the small kitchen—if he could even call it that. When he came back around, Akira took the offered glass and paused.

“Do you have sugar?”

“...Sugar.”

“Yes.”

Sojiro sighed again.

“Seriously?”

He finally turned back around and Akira could see him shuffle through some artificial sweeteners which made him almost protest. Sojiro came back with a few small packets of real sugar and Akira tried not to let his relief be too visible. He ripped one packet open with is teeth and poured it into his cup, blatantly ignoring the disgusted look Sojiro was giving him.

With one last glance up to the other man, Akira turned to head back to the attic as he placed the flower's stem into the cup. It drooped a little, but that was okay. It was only going to be in there for a few hours. Maybe he could see about “borrowing” some coffee filters after he had done some cleaning and Sojiro had gone home.

 


	2. Omake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> – おまけ

The train car wasn't very crowded. The two of them had taken the first available seats and Jun had slumped against Tatsuya's shoulder immediately. He looked so tired, Tatsuya noted. He knew he was feeling it too.

Dark circles had started to form under Jun's eyes from the sleepless nights he had been having. He had been up all that morning to make sure everything was together and that they had all their times correct and that all their paperwork was in place. Tatsuya doubted he was going to be getting much sleep soon, either. His hand slipped into Jun's, giving it a tight squeeze.

Jun's head lulled back a little to look up at him and he laced their fingers together.

“He's gonna be okay,” Tatsuya said. He wasn't sure who he was trying to comfort and Jun hadn't seemed entirely convinced. His gaze dropped down to somewhere in front of them, though he had hummed in confirmation despite it.

Tatsuya had never been very good with words. Even after all these years, he still struggled to grasp just what Jun would need to hear and he was always dissatisfied with that part of himself. He managed somehow, but the fact he would never innately know bothered him more than he would ever let on. Maybe Jun already knew, though.

“Tatsuya,” Jun's soft voice caught his attention and he looked down and saw the other man staring ahead, his eyes unfocused. A cold knot of anxiety settled in his stomach. “Did we do the right thing?”

Tatsuya wasn't sure what to say.

Did they?

What other options were there?

Tatsuya knew how important Akira was to Jun. He knew how hard he had worked to keep Akira safe and happy and loved so the boy would never have to know what true hardship was or feel like he was anything less than cherished. They had albums back home filled, having taken so many photos ever since they had brought Akira home when he was four. Jun had cried so much that day.

“I want to think I would do the right thing if the time came, but...” Jun had doubts. Tatsuya didn't think they were ever going to know anything for sure, but he knew one thing. His thumb rubbed over Jun's hand and he turned just enough to press a kiss to the other man's soft hair.

“You did everything you could. That counts for something.” Tatsuya could feel Jun's hand tighten in his own but there was no other response. That was fine, though. That knot in his stomach hadn't gone away but he pressed his cheek against the side of Jun's head and let his eyes fall shut. Tatsuya was sure someone was staring, but it didn't matter.

Nothing else felt important. He was worried about Akira, and he was worried about Jun. But deep down he knew they would come out of this. He was still going to worry—it was not groundless—but he did have faith.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Peony: Wealth, Good Fortune, Bravery, and Honor
> 
> I'll be forever crying about Persona on my twitter, [@hawkeing_eta](https://twitter.com/hawkeing_eta).  
> Also on [tumblr](http://hawkeing-eta.tumblr.com/).


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